The present invention relates to a projector for displaying an image in which picture light produced by modulating light from a light source by light bulbs such as a liquid crystal panel is projected on a screen by a projection lens to thereby display an image, and particularly to a projector excellent in portability such as a portable type liquid crystal projector.
One important factor of a portable type liquid crystal projector is smallness in size and excellent portability. For this factor, it is necessary that, in a non-use condition such as at the time of carrying the projector, recesses and projections on the outside surface of the projector are as few and little as possible so that the projector can be easily contained in a bag or the like, and that the portion where the projection lens is exposed is protected. Thus, conventionally, it is contemplated that the liquid crystal projector main body is constructed in the shape of a flat box, the projection lens is exposed on the front side of the projector main body, and the front side of the projection lens is opened and closed with a front cover.
However, when the projection lens exposed on the front side of the liquid crystal projector main body is simply opened and closed with the front cover, the front cover becomes a projected portion on the front side at the time of carrying, resulting in an increase in size or lowering in portability of the liquid crystal projector. In addition, there is a problem as to the protection of the front cover, such as possible easy breakage of the front cover by collision on other things at the time of carrying. Besides, in a portable type liquid crystal projector, a control panel is desirably disposed on the upper side of the main body from the viewpoint of operability. However, when the control panel is disposed on the upper side of the liquid crystal projector, a space for the control panel must be provided on the upper side of the main body, so that the size of the liquid crystal projector, particularly the height (thickness) of the main body, is enlarged, leading to poor portability. Furthermore, operating buttons and the like of the control panel are always exposed to the exterior, and protection thereof at the time of carrying is not sufficient, leading to possible easy breakage by collision against other things.
In addition, in order to make a portable type liquid crystal projector small in size and excellent in portability, it is necessary that, in a non-use condition such as at the time of carrying, recesses and projections on the outside surface of the projector are as few and little as possible so that the projector can easily be contained in a bag or the like. In a conventional liquid crystal projector, an inputted picture signal is projected onto a screen or the like and, at the same time, a voice signal is outputted as voice from a loudspeaker incorporated in the liquid crystal projector main body. In a meeting or the like, the locations of the audience who see and hear the picture and voice outputted from the liquid crystal projector are arbitrary as far as they can see the picture on the screen, and, therefore, it is desired that the loudspeaker is located at an upper position in the main body of the liquid crystal projector so that the voice output is uniform in all directions.
However, when the loudspeaker is incorporated at an upper position in the main body of the liquid crystal projector, a surplus space for incorporating the loudspeaker is needed at an upper portion in the main body. As a result, the size of the liquid crystal projector, particularly the height (thickness) of the main body, is increased, resulting in poor portability. On the other hand, when the loudspeaker is incorporated at, for example, a side face of the main body of the liquid crystal projector, the height (thickness) of the projector is not increased, but the acoustic effects (particularly, the spreading of sound) become a problem depending on the location of listening to the voice. Taking this into account, in order to enhance the acoustic effects, it may be contemplated to project the loudspeaker to the exterior of the main body of the liquid crystal projector and dispose the loudspeaker in a predetermined location. In that case, also, the outside surface of the liquid crystal projector has recesses and projections, resulting in that the portability of the projector is deteriorated.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a projector such that the outside surfaces of the projector are flat at non-use times and that a control panel at a front cover can be operated at an upper portion of the projector main body at the time of using the projector.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a projector which can have both good portability of the projector and good acoustic property at the time of using the projector.
In order to attain the above objects, the projector according to the present invention comprises a roughly box-type projector main body, a projection lens exposed on the front side of the projector main body, a front cover for opening and closing the front side of the projection lens, and a left-right pair of double hinge mechanisms for turnably supporting both left and right end portions of the front cover on the projector main body, wherein the left-right pair of double hinge mechanisms comprise a pair of first and second parallel hinge pins having one-side ends supported respectively on the front cover and the projector main body, and hinge arms rectangularly connecting the other-side ends of the first and second hinge pins, and the front cover can be turned between a storage position of being roughly vertically disposed on the front side of the projector main body to cover the front side of the projection lens and an open position of being turned to an upper portion of the projector main body to open the front side of the projection lens. In addition, the projector according to the present invention is such that the inner side of the front cover for closing the projection lens is constructed to be a control panel.
In the projector according to the present invention constituted as above, the front cover is turnably supported on the projector main body by the double hinge mechanisms. Therefore, the projector as a whole assumes a box type shape when the front cover is stored in the storage position for covering the front side of the projection lens. In addition, when the front cover is turned from the storage position for covering the front side of the projection lens to the open position at an upper portion of the projector main body so that the front side of the projection lens is opened, the hinge pins on the front cover side of the double hinge mechanisms for the front cover can be moved to positions above the upper surface of the projector main body, and the front cover can be directed to the skewly rear upper side of the projector main body. Besides, the inner side of the front cover for closing the projection lens is constructed to be a control panel. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide a space for disposing the control panel at an upper portion of the main body, it is possible to secure reduction in size and protection of the control panel at the time of carrying the projector, and the control panel can be directed to the upper side of the main body and can be easily operated on the upper side of the main body at the time of using the projector.
In addition, the projector according to the present invention is so constructed that a projection lens is exposed on the front side of a roughly box type projector main body, a loudspeaker is incorporated in a front cover for opening and closing the front side of the projection lens, and the loudspeaker is projected to the upper side of the projector main body by the movement of the front cover from a storage position for covering the front side of the projection lens to an open position on the upper side of the projector main body for opening the front side of the projection lens.
The projector according to the present invention constituted as above can store the loudspeaker in the projector and eliminate recesses and projections at the outside surfaces of the projector at non-use times such as at the time of carrying the projector, and can project the loudspeaker to the upper side of the projector by opening the front side of the projection lens at the time of using the projector.